


Real and Actual Heroes

by bluemermaid



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, HP: EWE
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-05
Updated: 2012-12-05
Packaged: 2017-11-20 10:51:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/584591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemermaid/pseuds/bluemermaid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ginny desperately wants to attend the Victory Gala, but she'll need some magic, and a hero, to get there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Real and Actual Heroes

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written in summer 2012 for the reversathon fest on Livejournal.

When the invitations arrived at the Burrow, Ginny didn't get one.

"Oi, Ron, what's that?" she demanded, bursting into the kitchen with her broomstick in one hand. She'd been outside trying to practice her flying, but it was just far too boring with nobody else out there to play Quidditch with. Ginny had hoped to ask Ron to come out with her, but the thought vanished from her mind as soon as she caught sight of her brother. He was holding a glittering golden card of some sort and looking gobsmacked.

"Oh," Ron replied, sounding startled as he looked up at her. "It's just you."

She glared at him. "What do you mean, 'just' me? What is that?" She reached out and snatched the card out of his hands.

 

You are hereby cordially invited to  
The Victory Gala  
to be held at  
The Blue Fairy Ballroom  
on the evening of  
Saturday, 23 May, 1998 

 

"Victory Gala?" Ginny frowned and looked at Ron. "Did we all get invited to this?"

"Er. . . ." Ron's face was slowly turning red. "I dunno. Hey, d'you think Hermione would be my date?"

Ginny laughed and handed him his invitation back. "What do you think?" she asked. "I'm just gonna go grab my card, and then we can talk all about your dating issues." She laughed again and bounded towards the living room, searching for her parents.

She found her mother in the front yard, pulling up weeds with her wand. "Your brother ought to be doing this," she said, as she caught sight of Ginny. "Where is Ron?"

"He's inside, contemplating his lack of skills with the opposite sex," Ginny replied. "Mum, where's my invitation to the Victory Gala?"

Mother Weasley looked upon her daughter with something like pity in her eyes, and Ginny felt her good mood plummet to the ground. "Oh, Ginny, dear," Mrs. Weasley said.

Ginny gripped her broomstick tighter. "What?" she asked flatly.

"Well, it's just . . . the gala is for adults, dear. You're not of age yet," her mother told her.

"You're joking," Ginny said, feeling her muscles tense as a simmering anger slowly rose to the surface. "That's just a formality, right? I mean, I fought in the final battle, Mum! I'm old enough to go to a ball."

"You fought against my strict orders," Mrs. Weasley reminded her sternly. "And I had to step in for you, as I recall."

"No, you didn't," Ginny cried, raising her arms in protest. "I was handling myself just fine! I played my part in this war, and I deserve a Victory Gala just as much as any of you lot."

"I am sorry, Ginny, but it's just not going to happen. You'll stay here and mind the Burrow while we're gone."

"Mind the Burrow? From what, garden gnomes? This is ridiculous!" Ginny tossed her broom to the ground. "I have to go to this thing. I can't sit around while everyone I know celebrates! It's unfair, and I am going."

"Watch your tone, young lady." Mrs. Weasley glared at her daughter and turned to look up at the house. "Now go inside and send your brother out here to do his chores. And then go to your room and think about your attitude."

Ginny's eyes blazed with fury, and she opened her mouth to shout again, but Mrs. Weasley was no longer even looking at her, and Ginny saw it to be useless. She turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving her broom on the grass and slamming the front door as hard as she could.

"RON!" Ginny thundered, as she thumped past the kitchen. "Mum wants you outside right now!"

"Merlin, Gin, calm down," Ron said, stuffing his Gala invitation into his back pocket. "What's climbed into your knickers?"

She brandished her wand in his face. "You'll not say another word to me, if you know what's good for you," she said.

Ron glowered at her, but did as she said, keeping his mouth shut as he moved quickly outside. Ginny sighed and stuck her wand back in her robes, moping all the way up the stairs to her bedroom.

She would find a way to get to this Gala. It wasn't fair to be left alone while her family got to have fun. Besides, Harry Potter was certainly going to be there, and Ginny hadn't even had the chance to speak to him since the Final Battle. She missed him.

 

*****

 

 

They gave her a list of tasks to complete during the Gala. Ginny knew her mother was just trying to distract her from her depression, but she found it hard to appreciate the effort. "Clean out the jam jars? Re-hem my robes? Why on earth would I want to do that?"

"You've grown quite a bit in the last year," Mrs. Weasley said, looking at Ginny's legs pointedly. Ginny glanced down at herself; her robes did seem a bit smaller than they'd been before. Still, she didn't want to re-hem them. She wanted to go to the ball.

Her father was being no help whatsoever. "These things tend to be rather boring, anyway," he said, forcing an awkward smile upon her. "Just, you know, a lot of aimless dancing. What's really important is this new era of peace we've entered, don't you think?"

"Yeah, sure, Dad," said Ginny, rolling her eyes once she'd turned away from him.

Her brother was even worse. "Sweep out the Floo? How is sweeping out the Floo going to make me feel any better?" Ginny thrust the list of chores under Ron's nose. "Can't you do anything about this?"

"Why're you asking me?" Ron replied, looking irritated as he picked at his dress robes. "D'you think these'll look all right?" Ginny just stared at him, silently fuming, and Ron huffed at her. "You know how Mum is, Ginny. If she says you aren't going, you're not going. Why do you want to go, anyway?" His glare took on a suspicious cast. "You're not messing about with Harry again, are you? After what happened last summer--"

"Oh, shut up, Ron," Ginny said.

She spent the evening sitting up in her favorite tree, glaring down at the grass and thinking. Surely they didn't really mean to keep all underage witches out, did they? If there were an Age Line around the Ballroom, there could be trouble. But who would go that far for a party? Ginny could sneak in easily; she had to. But how? Her mother wouldn't even let her buy a dress.

"Hi, Ginny." Luna Lovegood was standing beneath the tree, looking up at Ginny with her usual dreamy grin, as though it were the most wonderful thing in the world to find a friend of yours sitting in an apple tree. "Why are you up in a tree? Are there Flitterspinks in the dirt? I rather like them, myself, but I could see your aversion. Tingly toes aren't comfortable for everyone." Luna reached down and began to pull her shoes off.

"Luna, there aren't any Flitterspinks in the dirt," Ginny said, kicking her legs in the air. She could always count on Luna to make her smile when she was down, even when Luna wasn't exactly trying to do so. Her little oddities, her strange beliefs, always made Ginny laugh, and not at all in the same way other people laughed at them. Ginny loved it, Luna's childlike simplicity and vivid imagination. Ginny wished she could be so innocent sometimes.

"Your brother says you're upset," Luna said, sitting cross-legged on the ground, with her back pressed against the bark. Ginny noted that Luna had kept her shoes off, the little black loafers placed neatly beside her. "I was wondering why that might be." With her back against the tree, all Ginny could see of Luna was the top of her blonde head, and Luna's voice floated quietly up through the branches.

Ginny sighed. "It's this stupid Victory Gala," she said. "I'm not invited, and I really want to go."

"That's not so bad," Luna told her. "You'll see Harry some other time."

Just like Luna: cutting directly to the heart of the problem. Ginny felt her heart pulling at her chest, tugging her pain down in Luna's direction, where surely it would be healed with Luna's quiet optimism. "Will I, though? He hasn't come here at all. He hasn't written, he hasn't called our Floo, he hasn't done anything. He sends letters to Ron, though," she added, her voice turning dark and strangled. "I've seen him with them. Why won't he write to me? I'm here, too. I care about him, too."

Luna lifted her chin, staring through the leaves of summer to peer up at Ginny. "Some people were changed," she said. "Maybe Harry needs some time to adjust."

"I know that," Ginny said, subdued. How was it that Luna could say so much with so little? Of course Ginny shouldn't be moping about because of a stupid ball invitation, because of a few weeks without letters. They were still recovering; the war had taken a lot out of them. Things would get better eventually. They had to. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Luna told her. She hesitated. "I was supposed to go to the Gala with Daddy. I could come here and stay with you instead, if you like."

Tears pricked at Ginny's eyes, and a hard lump formed in her throat. She swallowed hard and rubbed her eyes quickly, feeling foolish for crying. "You don't have to do that," she said in a strained voice, choking on her emotions. "I'll be all right here by myself. No sense in me ruining your fun."

"But that's what friends do, isn't it?" Luna asked. "Forgive me if I've made a mistake. I'm still not used to having any friends to do things for."

"Oh, Luna." Ginny slipped to the edge of her branch and dropped to the ground. She landed just inches from where Luna was sitting, folding into a crouch to protect her knees. "You've got more friends than just me now, don't you know that? They'll want to see you at the ball."

Luna stared at her for a moment, her silvery eyes wider than ever as she examined Ginny's face. Ginny felt herself going red under the scrutiny, feeling awkward and broken before Luna's knowing expression. But then Luna shrugged and climbed to her feet; Ginny grabbed her hands to help her up. "All right," Luna said with a smile. "If you're certain. I'll be able to tell you all about it afterward, though, right? That's also what friends do."

"Yeah, Luna, sure," said Ginny, smiling back, because it was impossible to look at Luna's smile without smiling back.

 

*****

 

 

The night of the Victory Gala came swifter than Ginny could have imagined, but before she knew it she was standing in the middle of the sitting room in the midst of a flurry of Weasleys, all in varying degrees of excitement. Showing off their dress robes and speculating on the night's events, it was enough to make Ginny sick. Mostly, though, she felt a deep-seated sadness, as she sat in the corner chair watching them.

"Ginny, I am sorry you won't be joining us," said Mr. Weasley, straightening his tie as the family began to slowly trickle outdoors to the waiting car. "Perhaps I'll sneak you home a treat or two, eh?" He ruffled her hair and placed a sloppy kiss on her forehead.

"Thanks, Dad," Ginny replied, forcing a weak smile on her face.

Her brother George was the last to leave, and he stopped in the doorway, looking back at Ginny. She had moved to the hall to watch them go, and George gave her a knowing smile. "You're going to show up, aren't you," he said.

She didn't bother to deny it. "Wish me luck, then?"

"Yeah, all right," George said.

Ginny felt her heart go out to him; of all the Weasleys, George had suffered the most in the war. "And good luck to you, too," she said.

He understood her meaning, his gaze softening. "Thanks." He closed the door quietly behind him.

As soon as they'd gone, Ginny began to pace the floor, thinking. She didn't have any dress robes, any transportation; she didn't even know how to get to this Blue Fairy Ballroom. Still, there was a way in. Every problem had a solution.

Rushing up to her bedroom, she tore through her clothing, searching for something that could be worked into a proper gown. She had a dress robe from her third year hiding at the very back of the closet; could she turn that into something suitable? Ginny stared at it, biting her lower lip. She was pretty good at Transfiguration, so it had to be worth a shot. Right?

Ginny placed the robe on her bed, then fixed an image of the perfect gown in her mind and closed her eyes. Pointing her wand at the old robe, she stood and tried to think of the proper spell. She knew spells for turning hedgehogs into pincushions; why didn't she know a spell to change a dress? The Hogwarts curriculum baffled her sometimes.

She waved her wand around a bit, hoping that her thoughts of a dress might be enough to spark some magic, but it was no use. Her little old Yule Ball robe stayed as little and as old as ever, and Ginny felt like a failure.

And so, soon after, she found herself sitting in the grass by her favorite tree, holding a tattered old robe in her arms and crying. Ginny felt so stupid to be crying on a night such as this, when the stars sparkled above her and the crickets sang their lovely summer songs. She had so much, freedom and family and life, things that many people had lost in the battles against You-Know-Who. She had all of these things, but she just felt so alone.

A twig snapped somewhere nearby, and Ginny jumped to her feet, dropping the robes to the ground. "Who's there?" she demanded, reaching for her wand. War was over, but the reflex to defend herself was as strong as ever. She may have been crying, but she was still Ginny Weasley, with a repertoire of curses any dark wizard should be frightened to encounter.

"It's only me," came the lilting voice of Luna Lovegood, and Ginny lowered her wand in a sort of daze.

"Luna? What are you doing here?" She wanted to be angry, but instead Ginny felt a swooping pleasure in her chest at the sight of her friend gliding through the grass. "You're supposed to be at the Victory Gala."

Luna was like a ghost in the field, with her pale skin and blonde hair and her silvery eyes, all gleaming in the darkness. She was wearing a gauzy blue gown with glittering gold sparkles, accompanied by her favorite pair of earrings, the radishes. Somehow, the whole image worked, and Ginny smiled at the sight of her, the lovely little ghost in the night. "I couldn't go without you, Ginny," Luna said simply, as though it ought to be obvious. "It wouldn't have been very enjoyable without you."

"Thanks, Luna," Ginny said, and got the sudden urge to hug her friend. She grabbed Luna's arms and pulled her in, slipping her arms around Luna's slender frame. Luna's gown was soft and cool, though her arms were warm when she wrapped them around Ginny's waist. They had never hugged before. Hands held as they sneaked through Hogwarts corridors, shoulders jostled as they giggled and joked on the train, but never a full body hug. Ginny felt a warm tingling sensation all over, the sort of thing she used to feel touching Harry. But that didn't make any sense, and Ginny shook it off as she pulled away from Luna.

"That felt lovely," Luna said, with a smile slightly wider than her usual dreamy expression. There was something in her gaze that Ginny hadn't seen before, something that reminded her of the Weasley tenacity and excitement. It excited Ginny to see it. "Would you go to the Victory Gala with me, Ginny?" Luna asked.

Ginny laughed. "I can't, remember? We're stuck out here for the night."

"No, I don't think that's so," Luna said. She looked at the heap of Ginny's old dress robes on the ground. "I came here to help you get to the ball."

"What?" Adrenaline burst in Ginny's stomach. The promise of a plan, the idea of breaking the rules, the thrill of sneaking around with Luna; that was what Ginny lived for. It was what she'd been hoping for since the moment she'd seen Ron's Gala invitation. "How are you going to do it?"

"Well, with magic, of course," said Luna. "We have it, so why not use it? And I'm of age now, so nobody will even know that I helped you."

Ginny felt suddenly better about not being able to fix her own dress; with the entire Weasley family at the Gala, it would have been obvious that she was using underage magic. She wished she'd thought of that before, but it was a moot point now, and she was happier than ever to have Luna beside her. "All right," she said excitedly, clapping her hands together. "So what's first?"

"I suppose you'll need something beautiful to wear," Luna said. "I'll change your outfit for you."

"But can you?" Ginny asked. "I wasn't exactly knowledgeable enough to figure it out myself."

"Oh, don't worry," said Luna, pulling her wand out from behind her ear. "Professor McGonagall says I lack the proper concentration for good Transfiguration, but I think this should be good practice, don't you?"

"Er, Luna, I don't know," Ginny said uncertainly. She hastened to pick up her old robes out of the dirt. "Perhaps you ought to try it on this, before you go pointing your wand at me."

Luna's excitement faded a bit as she stared at Ginny. "You don't trust me," she said, "but that's all right. I can prove myself to you, just as I do to everyone else."

A spike of guilt struck Ginny's heart. "No, Luna," she said, "that's not what I meant. I do trust you. Honest." She reached out and took Luna's hand. "I trust you, completely."

Luna smiled, and it was a balm for Ginny's pain; Ginny smiled back, the excitement rising again in them both. "All right," said Luna, pointing her wand at Ginny. "I do believe this will work." She muttered a few words that Ginny didn't quite understand, and then tapped Ginny on the head lightly with the tip of her wand.

Tingly warmth started at the point of contact and seeped quickly down Ginny's body; a gleaming light briefly blinded her as the magic surrounded her. She felt her hair move off the back of her neck, and her clothing seemed to weigh down and tighten. Luna stepped back and surveyed her spell work with a calm eye. "It seems to have worked," she said quietly.

As the light faded and the world was reduced back to starlight, Ginny looked down at herself and gasped. Like a princess out of a fairy tale, Ginny had been transformed into a beautiful, flowing green gown. She reached up to touch her hair gingerly and discovered that it had been styled into some sort of updo. "Luna, how did you know how to create something so perfect?" she asked, her mouth gaping open as she continued to stare down at herself in wonder.

"It wasn't very difficult," Luna replied. "You're very easy to imagine in beautiful things." She stroked the lace of Ginny's sleeve with a sort of reverence. "They suit you."

Their eyes met; Ginny felt a sudden tightness in her throat, and her stomach clenched. There was something so intense in Luna's stare, and she had made Ginny so lovely . . . but it was just Luna Lovegood, Ginny's best friend since forever. Ginny shook her head and grinned. "I love it," she gushed, and spun in a delighted little circle.

"I'm very happy for that," Luna replied. "But you'll need a few other things." She pointed her wand at the ground, conjuring up a pair of translucent heels. Ginny slipped her feet into them; they fit perfectly. "And now some travel," Luna said. "How shall we arrive to the Gala?"

"Oh," said Ginny, feeling overwhelmed. "I thought we'd just Apparate nearby and slip in the back or something."

"Don't be silly," Luna said, smiling again. "We ought to arrive in style, like a pair of noble heroes. We are heroes, aren't we?"

"Yeah, I suppose we are." Ginny's heart swelled, and she felt the prickling of tears again. But this time they were tears of joy, for she was proud of the words Luna spoke. They were heroes, the two of them. Not just children who'd disobeyed their parents, but real and actual heroes, who'd contributed to the very victory being celebrated that night. Ginny closed her eyes briefly, to stifle her tears, for she felt silly crying now, with Luna smiling beside her. "So, like heroes, then," she said, lifting her chin up high with pride.

"Indeed," said Luna, and touched her wand to Ginny's old school robe, which lay discarded in the grass. Another burst of magic light, and it grew to magnificent proportions, billowing out into the rounded shape of a carriage. Ginny laughed to see it; the lines and ribbons of the original gown were still visible along the outside, but the inside of the outfit had transformed into a seat large enough for two. "I did a particularly grand job on this one, I think," Luna said.

"You absolutely did!" Ginny climbed carefully into the carriage. "But what about horses?"

"Unfortunately, I can't reach any thestrals from such a far distance," Luna told her, her tone very serious. "But perhaps we can make do with some of your friendly field mice."

"I hope so," Ginny replied. "I'd hate to have to round up a couple of gnomes or something."

"Gnomes make notoriously bad horses," said Luna, as though she spent every evening transfiguring horse-drawn carriages. "They're not very fond of apples."

Ginny laughed, then clapped her hands in delight as Luna enlarged two field mice and then turned them into white horses. "Luna, are you sure you're not good at this? Surely you must have gotten an O in your Transfiguration O.W.L. with this kind of magic."

"I suppose I never had such a compelling reason to use it before," Luna replied, as she gently tied the horses to their carriage. Ginny felt that twisting warmth in her stomach again, and it only intensified as Luna sat down beside her. "Shall we go?" Luna asked, tucking her wand back over her ear.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, let's go," Ginny said, shaking away her distraction, and Luna nudged the horses, sending them careening out of the Weasley yard and off across the roads, heading for the Gala.

 

*****

 

 

Sweeping into the Blue Fairy Ballroom, Ginny felt like a princess. Her gown swished pleasantly about her as she moved, and the sparkling lights of the ballroom made her giddy. People by the dozens were milling about, some dancing in the center of the room as others lingered around the sides with their drinks. Nobody seemed to notice Ginny and Luna as they entered together, holding hands in their excitement. "I can't believe I'm here," Ginny said quietly. "And no one's stopping me from it."

"I knew you'd be welcome," Luna replied. "They can't possibly turn you away."

"Oh, Luna, thank you for helping me with this," Ginny said in a rush. "I'm going to have such fun tonight."

"You're welcome," said Luna, beaming. "And I do so hope we enjoy our evening. Let's dance, shall we?"

"Sure," Ginny replied, and they hurried down the stairs and into the ballroom proper.

Ginny gazed about for her family as she moved beside Luna, the two of them swirling at the edge of the dance floor together. No Weasleys came into view, and Ginny wasn't sure whether it was good or bad tidings. Surely it would be bad for her parents to see her, for then they might scold her, or even send her back home to the Burrow. Ginny certainly didn't want that, and so she smiled and laughed in their absence, dancing to the upbeat music with Luna.

But there was someone else Ginny desperately wanted to see, and her heart leaped into her throat at the sight of him. Harry looked nervous and slightly awkward in his dress robes, standing alone in a corner. Ginny tugged gently on Luna's arm and gestured in Harry's direction. "I have to see him," she said breathlessly.

"Of course," Luna replied, with her usual serene smile. "I hope you two have a lovely reconciliation."

Ginny rushed off, brushing her gown down nervously as she approached, and then suddenly she was standing in front of Harry. "Hi," she said.

"Ginny," he said, looking surprised to see her. "I didn't think you'd be here."

"Yeah," Ginny replied, feeling irritated again by the reminder, "they didn't want me to come. Can you believe it? Like they could stop me."

Harry smiled, but there was something off about it, something not so happy. "Figures, you'd manage to get here anyway," he said.

"Luna helped me," Ginny informed him. She glanced back in Luna's direction; Luna was whirling around in circles, doing some sort of curious little Luna dance. It made Ginny smile. "So, do you want to dance?" she asked, turning back to Harry.

"Er, all right," Harry replied. Ginny didn't like it. Harry seemed too nervous, too solemn for seeing the girl he supposedly fancied at a victory ball. Hadn't they spent months snogging all over the grounds of Hogwarts? Hadn't they parted on good terms? It bothered her that he looked so upset.

They made their way through the crowd, and then Harry put his arms awkwardly around Ginny and they danced, slowly and carefully. Harry was a terrible dancer, which shouldn't really have bothered Ginny, but he also looked miserable and it irritated her. "Having a nice time?" she asked; she was having a hard time keeping the sarcasm out of her voice.

"Dancing's not really my thing," he told her, and smiled nervously. He sighed. "Look, I know I've been ignoring you. It's just . . . hard. I've been tired."

She nodded, trying to understand. "You've been through a lot," she said. Out of the corner of her eye she could still see Luna, spinning in her blue gown and looking radiant. She seemed to be having much more fun than Harry and Ginny were at the moment.

He nodded, looking serious again. "I don't know what I want anymore," he said quietly, and Ginny felt her stomach tighten uncomfortably.

She didn't know what to say to him. They had once shared such an easy rapport, before the war had come crashing down on them. The old days of Quidditch jokes and banter were gone now; she didn't know when Harry might get them back again, if he ever did. He had such dark circles under his eyes. He didn't know what he wanted anymore, and if Ginny were honest with herself, neither did she.

"Ginevra Weasley!"

"Oh, shit," Ginny said, recognizing the voice immediately. How could she not; she'd been hearing her mother's voice since the day she was born, and usually yelling at somebody. "I have to go," she said to Harry, who looked gobsmacked at her sudden change in demeanor.

Luna was suddenly nowhere to be found, but Ginny thought she wouldn't mind if Ginny took the carriage without her friend. After all, Luna was supposed to be at the Gala, and she deserved to stay and have fun. Ginny felt rather bitter about the fact that her own mother was running her out of the ballroom, but she really didn't want to stay and suffer a lecture in front of everyone. If anything would show them she didn't deserve to be there, an in-person Howler from Mrs. Weasley would do the trick. Ginny would have been absolutely mortified to hear it.

And so, as soon as Ginny heard her mother's voice calling, she bolted, rushing up the stairs and out into the front yard of the Blue Fairy Ballroom, where her makeshift carriage was waiting. As she stumbled over the threshold, one of Ginny's shoes slipped off, almost sending Ginny head over heels onto the pavement. A missing shoe was nothing to suffer compared to her mother's wrath, however, and so Ginny kept running, hopping awkwardly as one foot was now higher than the other.

Bouncing into the carriage, Ginny urged the horses on, and they sped away from the Gala. Ginny watched the ballroom disappear into the distance. She felt angry and disappointed in her experience. Perhaps she shouldn't have bothered with Harry at all; perhaps her mother wouldn't have found her if she'd stayed dancing in the crowd with Luna. She'd been happier with Luna, anyway. But hadn't seeing Harry been the whole point? Ginny wasn't sure; she felt empty.

Sparks of magic shot into Ginny's face as she fled; it seemed that the further she got from the ballroom, the weaker Luna's spells held. The carriage and its horses flickered around her, fading and changing before her very eyes. Eventually, Ginny found herself running across the fields of Ottery St. Catchpole, hugging her old school robes to her chest. The field mice were lost to the dark.

It was a good thing Ginny was close to home, because she still wasn't sure how to Apparate. There'd been too much going on at Hogwarts to fit Apparition lessons in.

By the time the Weasley family arrived home from the Gala, Ginny had already changed into her night clothes and gone to bed. She lay awake in the dim light of her parents' wands, listening to them argue about her.

"Really, dear, didn't she deserve a little fun? She did suffer through the war, as much as anyone."

"That's not the point, Arthur. Of course I know she's suffered; we've all suffered. I just didn't want my little girl involved in those adult shenanigans."

"Molly, my sweet, is it perhaps that you're afraid of our little girl growing up?"

"Please; that's ridiculous." But Ginny's mother didn't say anything else after that.

Ginny fell asleep slowly, her mind drifting in circles. She kept reliving those moments at the Gala, dancing with Luna, standing next to Harry. She kept seeing that darkness in Harry's eyes.

Ginny danced herself to sleep.

The next morning, she woke up thinking it had all been some sort of fairy tale dream, the princess at the ball with her prince. But as she came down to the breakfast table, she could hear them talking about it, how much fun it had been and how refreshing it was to let go of all their sadness for a night.

"Hello," Ginny said loudly, standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley, rising from her seat. "Come, sit, have some sausage." Her voice was kind.

"Thank you," Ginny replied, taking her seat. There were six of them sitting around the table, including Ginny; George had come to the Burrow after the Gala instead of retiring to his flat above the shop. Ginny was sitting in between George and her father; she looked across at Ron and gave him a knowing look. "So, how's Hermione?" she asked.

As expected, Ron turned pink. "She's fine," he mumbled.

"Ginny, I wanted to apologize," Mrs. Weasley said abruptly. Ginny looked up from her plate, trying to hide her shock at the pronouncement. "I should have fought for you, to get you allowed into the Victory Gala. You did deserve to attend." Her eyes welled up with tears. "I should have treated you as an adult, instead of just a daughter. But you understand, don't you, dear?"

Ginny beamed. "'Course I do, Mum." And though she didn't really completely understand, she knew enough to see that her mother had her heart in the right place.

Breakfast was well underway when the knocking started. Ginny placed her spoon carefully down onto the table and rose from her seat, smiling already before she could even articulate why she was happy. It was a sudden rush of pleasure, flushing her cheeks with warmth and making her heart speed up in her chest. The tapping on the door continued.

"Why, who could that be?" Mrs. Weasley asked, only half-rising from her own chair.

Ginny was already standing beside the door. "I don't know," she said. She thought it might be Harry, coming to return her missing shoe, coming to apologize for the way he had treated her the night before. But, if she were truly honest with herself, the idea of Harry being behind the door was not the thing making her heart race.

There was another thought, another small idea in the corner of Ginny's mind. This thought, this wish, this fantasy, had been there for longer than Ginny could even say, but had been ignored all the while. It had been a fanciful wish, for something that seemed impossible to occur. And she had ignored it, and placed her trust instead in Harry Potter, the hero of the fairy tale. But it was not Harry tapping on the Burrow door.

Ginny flung the door open and grinned as wide as she could ever grin, her heart aching fit to burst. "I thought you might like this back," said Luna Lovegood, holding up Ginny's missing slipper.

"Luna," Ginny breathed, her chest bursting with joy. She took a step forward, coming just over the threshold, and wrapped her arms quickly around her dearest friend, pulling Luna in for a crushing embrace. "I hoped you would come," she said.

"I missed you last night," Luna replied, returning Ginny's hug, and pressing the glass shoe into Ginny's back. "You left without saying goodbye. I hope I haven't upset you about anything."

"No," Ginny said fiercely. "You could never." She pulled back slightly, staring Luna deeply in the eyes. She thought of the previous night, when Luna had come to her as a ghost over the grass. Luna, who had used her magic to create a spectacular gown and carriage, all just to make Ginny happy. Luna had been there for years, standing beside Ginny with her love and comfort, with her sweetness and light. Ginny had a sudden revelation that made her head spin and her stomach twist with equal parts fear and delight. It was Luna who was the real and actual hero in the fairy tale of Ginny's life. Harry had saved her life once, a million years ago; Luna saved it now, and every single day. "I love you," Ginny whispered, and leaned forward to kiss her best friend.

Luna did not seem surprised in the slightest, pressing her lips to Ginny's with equal enthusiasm. "I am so glad you did that," she said happily, once they had parted and were smiling at one another once more. "I'd been hoping you would for such a long time, but I thought you'd chosen Harry over me."

"No," Ginny said again. Her heart was all aflutter, and her face felt flushed with a pleasant heat. Her stomach tumbled with excitement. "I was wrong to do that, Luna. It should have been you all along."

"Merlin, Gin, you couldn't have done that outside?" Ginny felt a sharp piercing embarrassment, as she realized that her family had just seen her kiss with Luna. She turned to look at Ron, who had spoken the question and was staring at his sister with an expression of absolute shock.

"Yeah," said George, who was actually grinning, "surely you two want a little more privacy than to snog in front of Mum and Dad."

Ginny looked to her father, who was pretending to be absorbed with the morning paper, though he nodded his head with a little knowing smile on his face. Mrs. Weasley, sitting at the opposite end of the table, did not look so happy, and for a moment Ginny thought she was going to be yelled at for engaging in inappropriate abnormalities. She stared at her mother. "Mum?"

Mrs. Weasley closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then looked at her daughter with a tiny nervous smile. "You deserve whatever will make you happy, dear," she said quietly, and took her seat.

Ginny could have leaped for joy. Instead, she merely squeezed Luna to her chest again and whispered in her ear. "Come out back to the tree with me?"

"I'd love to," Luna replied.

 

*****

 

 

Ginny climbed up the branches of her favorite tree and perched on the wide one near the bottom. Reaching her hands out, she helped Luna get up beside her. "I'm so sorry, Luna," she said, taking Luna's hands between her own. "I really should have realized sooner how I felt about you."

"It's all right," Luna replied. "I'm very patient. But here, you should have your shoes back." She pulled Ginny's legs up into her lap, and carefully placed the magic glass slippers on Ginny's feet. They fit perfectly.

"But why didn't they turn back to what they'd been, like the carriage and horses?" Ginny asked, swinging her feet back down so that they dangled off the branch. Swinging her legs, Ginny enjoyed the pretty way the sunlight glittered off the glass.

Luna shrugged. "The magic was tied to my heart," she said. "The shoes remained because I took the one you'd dropped. I suppose keeping it with me strengthened the bond. Just looking at it made me think of how beautiful you looked in them. I really like you, Ginny Weasley. I could even love you, if you'd let me."

"Oh, I'd let you," Ginny replied, and leaned in to kiss Luna. Their kiss was warm and sweet, creating a pool of warm happiness in Ginny's stomach. She'd never been happier.

Ginny would still think of Harry from time to time, especially as he started coming around the Burrow to visit Ron and the family. But he looked at Ginny with Luna and seemed to realize right away what had happened, and he let her be. Ginny still loved him a little for that. But she didn't dwell on it for long, as she and Luna were far too busy living happily ever after.

The glass slippers remained as lovely and perfect as ever, and Ginny always wore them when she sat with Luna in their favorite tree. 


End file.
